POPULATION & CULTUREThe Study of Human

Geography3-1

A. People and Environments 1. people adapt their way of life in

response to the surrounding environment (ex. In colder areas, they wear heavier clothing)

2. human activity has dramatically altered the earth’s physical landscape

3. some of these modifications have little impact, while others have been drastic

I. Where People Live

B. Population Density – the average number of people in a square mile or kilometer 1. to calculate, you divide the total

number of people in a region by the region’s land area

A. The Effects of Growth 1. (-) some say that it will increase famine, disease,

and resource depletion 2. (+) some say it will increase technology and

creativity B. Comparing Growth Rates

1. birthrate – number of live births each year per 1,000 people

2. death rate – number of deaths each year per 1,000 people

3. immigrants – people who move into the country 4. emigrants – people who move out of a country

II. Population Growth

ZERO POPULATION GROWTHBirthrate + # of Immigrants = Death Rate +

# of Emigrants

C. Patterns of Settlement 1. The 4 densest concentrations of people:

a. East Asia b. South Asia c. Europe d. North America

2. most of these people live in cities 3. urbanization – growth of city populations – is

occurring all over the world 4. rural - countryside

A. Culture is reflected in both objects and ideas B. Usually passed down from generation to generation C. Patterns vary from country to country D. 6 examples of Culture:

1. Culture Hearths – place where important ideas begin and from which they spread to surrounding cultures (ex. Writing)

2. Language – without it, people wouldn’t be able to communicate; reflects a culture’s identity; not all cultures have written languages

3. Religion – helps people answer basic questions about life; beliefs & religious practices vary greatly throughout the world; religious struggles often result in fighting

III. The Nature of Culture

4. Cultural Landscapes – where you live and how you use the physical surroundings produces a unique culture (ex. Using tractors vs. handheld tools)

5. Social Organization – social structure is created to help the people of a society work together to meet basic needs; most important unit of organization is the family…although what family is varies from culture to culture; social classes rank people

6. Women & Minorities – some cultures do not allow women or minorities (ethnic or religious) to participate in certain areas of life; sometimes they are expected to disfigure, harm, or hide themselves

A. Cultural Convergence – occurs when the skills, arts, ideas, habits, and institutions of one culture come in contact with those of another culture

B. Diffusion – process by which a cultural element is transmitted across some distance from one group or individual to another

C. Previously, this occurred through migration of people

D. Currently, this occurs via the internet, tv, radio, or other fast technological sources

IV. Cultural Change

E. Cultural Divergence – the restriction of a culture from outside cultural influences

F. Repressive governments try to control transportation and communication of their citizens 1. They don’t allow people to leave or move into their

country 2. They limit their citizens to reading their newspaper,

watching their news programs and shows, and cutting off access to many internet websites from foreign countries